Revive Collagen’s Post

One phone call changed the course of our company. I've been reminiscing. Next week - one week from today - we're hosting our 6th(!!) Member Value Workshop for the Pittsburgh Airport Area Chamber. Prepping for the session yesterday, it made me reflect on how we got here. Back in the spring of 2021, I got a phone call from Chris Heck, President & CEO for the PAACC. I'd been working with Chris for a few years on behalf of my client, Damon Piatek, who was a member of the chamber. Also, I'd recently rebranded Momentum Public Affairs, LLC, my PR agency, into Momentum - The Business Growth Agency, and had been peppering #LinkedIn with posts aimed at chamber of commerce members on how to get more ROI from their memberships. I'll never forget Chris' words on the call: "We've talked about Damon. I want to know more about what you're doing." Then, he hit me with something I didn't expect... Would I be interested in working with the PAACC Ambassador team? To be honest, it was one of those entrepreneurial moments where you agree to something you've never done, with plans to figure it out later. But, I said an enthusiastic YES. We built a three part program: (1) train the ambassadors; (2) present to the board; and (3) as Chris put it, "Bring it directly to members." We knocked out #1 and #2 to positive reviews, and then Chris called me: "How should we do #3?" "I have an idea," I told him. That idea was the Member Value Workshop - a roundtable workshop, in which I would walk members through the creation of a strategy to make the most of their membership. In September, 2022, we tried it... We even said in the promotion of the program that we were "trying something" (thank you, Michelle Kreutzer and Jaime Andrade Budesa, CMP for going along with me on that!!). It worked. Enough that we ran it again. And again. And again. It's a powerful tool - both to help chamber members see the value of their membership, AND help the chamber with member retention. While we've done the MVW for a number of chambers, I am thrilled that we've put close to 70 companies through PAACC's program. I'm looking forward to next week's cohort, and meeting some more awesome PAACC members. *** When Chris first asked me about doing Ambassador Training, the idea of consulting with chambers wasn't even in my field of vision. I always joke, "I had to go design a whole new web site because of that call." But Chris' request has led to consulting gigs, keynote invites, Virtual Ambassador Training, ChatGPT training for chambers, new products and services, many of my most favorite professional relationships, and pretty much everything else Momentum has going on. I'm extremely appreciative, and it's my absolute pleasure to be a part of the PAACC's exciting growth. See you next Wednesday! #chamberofcommerce #chambersofcommerce #momentum #pittsburgh

Might be hard to to believe, but true, Vistage Members retain their membership for an average of 8-9 years. Why? The ROI they receive on their time, because even during the great recession Vistage member companies grew by an average of 5.9%. Vistage member companies even grew during the Covid Pandemic at a rate of 4.6% compared to non-member companies which saw a revenue decrease of 4.7%. Please let me know if you would like to learn more about Vistage Peer Advisory Groups and the ROI attained with membership.  #whatstheROIonyourtime

Which upcoming conferences are YOU gonna to attend? Here's mine... Most are cannabis industry related as that's my main focus on any given day Well, that and Wawa coffee of course But I've yet to find a Wawa conference So these will do: 1. NECANN - Atlantic City NJ THIS Friday & Saturday! I'll be roaming the floor on Friday. Say hello if you see me. Mention Flex Friday for a boring but passionate explanation of how I got started hitting the gym last year 💪 2. BENZINGA Chicago October 8-9 This one needs no intro. The focus is on capital - something tough to find in the space. A must attend for most C level execs and plenty of the private equity peeps. 3. MJ Unpacked St. Louis November 5-7 #Brands and #Retailers this is your place to make deals. A unique event with exhibits and displays that allow you to show off your products without babysitting a booth. And as a proud ambassador, DM me for discounts and warm intros to the conference organizers 🫡 4. eCore Miami November 17-19 Multifamily conference for owners and investors. I'll be there representing our team's Utility Bill Audit service as well as our Water Conservation Project offerings. As an LP investor myself, it's nice to see partners and others at this annual event. The food & sunshine ain't bad either 😋 🌞 5. MJBIZCON Las Vegas December 3-6 The OG cannabis conference is happening again. Not sure why it MUST be Vegas every year. I'm over that. But everyone and nobody from the cannabis industry always attends. A circus of a conference but one that has been productive if not exhausting. That's what I got... How about YOU??? Will I see you at any of these? What event or conference are you attending?

Session Recording | New Business Clinic: Mastering Referrals and Partnerships in Your Agency In this New Business Clinic, Dave discussed; - How can you build a culture of referrals in your agency – moving them from being founder-led to brand-led? - And how can you identify, nurture and scale partnerships? Members, check out the session recording now, over on the hub!

Looking forward to joining you all Chartered Accountants Ulster Society in September to share a little of my journey taking the Meaghers business from one traditional pharmacy to where we are at today and just how important our people are in the journey. #growth #business #pharmacy

It's happening TODAY. Join us at Twin Valley Distillers; 1029 East Gude Drive #Suite 105 & 105B Rockville, MD 20850 at 5:30 PM. Excited to have partnered with the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Montgomery County, to facilitate a workshop on Exit Planning for your business. Discover the key value drivers for your business to maximize profits upon sale. Not looking to sell yet? No worries! We'll also cover how to 'start with the end in mind,' setting your business up for top value in the future. #businessoperations #exitplan #exitstrategy #operations #businessstrategy #maryland #dmv

Have an entrepreneurial idea and struggling to decide whether to build custom software or not? I can share my 20 years of experience helping hundreds of clients to answer this question.

Magic. That’s what happens when you get 19 Accelerent - Indianapolis Partners together at Van Ausdall & Farrar for the Manufacturing/Distribution subgroup each month. Just so you know: It’s not actually magic, it just feels like it. These partners show up consistently to make warm, strategic introductions to one other’s best relationships. Warm intros “magically” open up previously closed doors and give our partners a chance to grow their businesses. Thanks to everyone who continues to participate! Marcus Manges, Brady Gilreath, Gregg Albacete, Glenn Balsamo, Matt Beauchamp, Thomas Doherty, CPA, Jason Ells, Michael Herdrich, Jennifer Hindsley, Ann Hirschfeld, Pat Huffine, Justin Isenthal, Donn Koonce, Alexis Lucas, Chris Mindach, Ed Mysogland, Daniel Tomashek, Rodney Wead, Alexandria Yoder, CPA, Andy Zelt

TOMORROW! WIP Cincy is hosting a chapter refresh event @ Paycor HQ @ 6:30pm. Don't forget to register for a night of networking, free headshots, and refreshing snacks and drinks. We can't wait to hear about your product successes and challenges and learn about how WIP can help elevate YOU in the product community. #womeninproduct #productmanagement

Talking strategies and problems with industry partners can be of great benefit! Check out what the Globe has inside.